Chapter 42
I let out a small laugh as I looked at him. It was to show him properly that no matter how much he declared war on me or tried to crush me, it would be useless.
Akter looked down at me, clearly bewildered.
“Really…”
“Why? Are you going to say again that I’m rude and ill-mannered?”
“Hah. I shouldn’t even speak. What could I possibly do against a child?”
Perhaps realizing how pathetic he sounded, he clicked his tongue.
‘Arguing with a child, and in front of other members of the Grand Duke’s house we might encounter along the way, must be incredibly embarrassing.’
Eventually, he started walking again, much slower than before.
I followed him as we wound our way through the Grand Duke’s estate until we reached the garden where the Grand Duchess was. It didn’t feel like he was intentionally making me wander. He just looked rather exhausted being out here with me.
“Stay here for a moment.”
“Okay~.”
Since the twins weren’t around, I had no intention of causing trouble with him, so I calmly nodded and looked around. A tea table sat on the well-maintained grass. The distance between where I stood and where the Grand Duchess sat was considerable.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t see her face. Though far away and unable to hear the conversation, I could clearly see the Grand Duchess’s expression stiffen.
She seemed to clench her fists as if reacting to whatever Akter was telling her about earlier.
Then her gaze fell on me.
At the same time, Akter walked back toward me.
“The Grand Duchess requests your presence.”
“Yes~.”
“…It’s quite different from when you were with the twins… no, with the Grand Duke and Duchess.”
“I know how to do that.”
“That?”
“Reading the situation.”
I smiled faintly at him. He looked at me as if I were absurd, clicking his tongue in exasperation.
“Really… you’re a child who defies expectations. I thought you’d at least act confidently when they weren’t around.”
“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment. Shall we go? The Grand Duchess is waiting.”
Contrary to my expectation that he would think poorly of me because of what happened with the twins earlier, he looked at me with genuine curiosity.
‘Did he forget about what happened earlier, or am I really that fascinating?’
It didn’t matter either way. We had arrived at our destination.
As expected, the Grand Duchess seemed determined to assert dominance, not even giving me a glance when I approached.
“I greet the Grand Duchess.”
“…”
The only sound was her sipping tea. I looked around briefly, then glanced at the chair in front of me.
“May I sit?”
The chair was slightly pulled back, perfect for sitting.
“If you don’t respond, I’ll sit.”
I promptly sat down. Only then did the Grand Duchess finally look at me.
“You have no manners, do you?”
“I thought this was the only way the Grand Duchess would even look at me.”
It was a show of dominance, different in style but similar in purpose: to demonstrate that no matter what she did, I would not be intimidated.
The Grand Duchess flared her nostrils in disbelief. Her small, delicate nose looked as if two coins could fit inside.
“Your origin is the problem. That’s why I can’t stand hybrids.”
Clicking her tongue, she tried to hide her expression, shaking her head.
“Oh, you know my background? Please tell me too. Did you find out about my parents?”
“How can a child be so shameless?”
“You have to be shameless to survive in an orphanage. So… did you really find out about my parents?”
“Oh, did I? I was just saying it. If I actually knew, I would have thrown you out to go get them immediately.”
I wondered if that was a lie, but judging by how her expression twisted, it seemed to be true.
Having only ever seen people who serve her, my presence clearly displeased the Grand Duchess. She had never liked me from the first meeting, and today’s behavior pushed her annoyance to its peak.
Whether child or adult, she always made others bow deeply in front of her. And she was the Grand Duchess. Who could speak so brazenly in front of her?
‘Even saying this much won’t make her suddenly want to kill me.’
I thought to myself. Perhaps the purpose of my life wasn’t just to survive but to protect the twins. That thought had grown stronger since I had that strange dream.
‘Maybe… for an orphan like me, full of fear, it’s some kind of divine buff.’
A ridiculous thought, but I entertained it anyway. Otherwise, there’s no way I could act so recklessly.
“You may be kind to Lari, but not to me. You’re supposed to be smart enough to read the situation… but apparently not?”
“No, I can read situations perfectly. I know how to read the subject, and I understand the situation.”
I also know that you cannot harm me.
‘At least while I’m here.’
The Grand Duke might threaten to throw me out, but I haven’t been expelled yet. Plus, I am someone the twins genuinely care for.
‘Too bad this only applies while I’m here.’
Otherwise, I could have teased her freely.
For now, it was important to make sure the Grand Duchess understood that the children under her watch were not just ordinary kids. They could bite back if needed. Only then would she hesitate to interfere.
Meanwhile, the Grand Duchess, who had been staring at me in disbelief, changed the topic.
“By the way… your clothes.”
“Yes!”
I had wondered when she would bring it up. Now she looked at me with clear disapproval, as if asking, how could you wear that?
“Those are Laris’s clothes, aren’t they? Why are you wearing them?”
“Lari likes me so much. He wants me to wear the same clothes as him, so I had no choice.”
Half was true, half was false. Lari did like me, but he never asked me to wear the same clothes. In front of others, I had hinted at it, but it was never his idea.
“How dare a commoner like you wear clothes given to Laris?”
“The moment Lari wore them, they became his. And since he wanted me to wear them too, I complied. How could I, a commoner, disobey the Grand Duchess?”
I smiled sweetly at her, with a completely innocent expression, giving no impression of hidden motives. Naturally, her face stiffened.
‘Understandable. You seem to have prepared multiple measures to protect Lari.’
Clearly, some unknown poison was made and administered to Lari in various ways. Why she harms him is unclear. The novel doesn’t mention it, and while I have some ideas, I’m not sure of the reason.
One: She wants to harm Lari to remove one of the twins.
Two: She harms Lari but gains his favor by caring for him.
Three: Her actions are personal grudge, with no specific reason.
It could be any combination of these, or none at all.
That’s why I began acting alongside Lari.
‘There might be traces of poison in everything he eats. But since Rohen and I were fine, the Grand Duchess probably used a combination of poisons. Like the doctor said. If I do everything Lari does, I can identify the problem. I can also show the Grand Duke that Lari’s condition isn’t due to normal growth.’
“You’re very confident.”
“I have no reason not to be.”
Seeing me mimic Lari, she finally showed a trace of unease. It was brief, but clear.
‘If I also get sick, the Grand Duke will have no choice but to suspect something.’
Lari’s symptoms were limited to drowsiness. There was no obvious issue, and the growth explanation would suffice.
But if both of us got sick? The Grand Duke would inevitably suspect that Lari’s condition wasn’t normal.
‘And he’s probably annoyed that I brought in the doctor without her permission.’
The Grand Duchess had never failed to get her way. The Grand Duke didn’t interfere with her actions. Without me, her plan would have proceeded as she wanted. Calling an additional doctor wasn’t in her plan at all.
‘But she’s not a fool. She always manipulates things behind the scenes with minimal staff.’
Even if many people notice, there’s a limit to how much she can silence. Even if she coerced doctors to comply, her plan was already disrupted. People increasingly knew what she had done to Lari.
Perhaps realizing further argument would be futile, she let out a deep sigh.
“I do not want a child of lowly origin like you in this household. Even the servants. And yet, you are by the twins’ side. I simply cannot stand it.”
